Cox, Dish Call Retrans Truce During Coronavirus Crisis

Dish and Cox Media Group said they are suspending their retransmission dispute so that subscribers can get news and other information during the coronavirus crisis.

The agreement covers stations in 10 markets where the stations have been blacked out since Jan. 18. The stations were acquired by Apollo Global Management last year from Northwest Broadcasting. Apollo also acquired stations from Cox last year.

“From the onset of this situation, our CMG newsrooms across the country have been working around the clock to provide accurate and up-to-date information to the communities we serve,” said Kim Guthrie, CEO of Cox Media Group. “We are pleased to be able to restore these channels on Dish so that our viewers in these communities can be informed and able to make the right decisions for the safety of their families. We appreciate Dish’s cooperation in agreeing to suspend our dispute so that we can help our viewers navigate through this uncertain time.”

The stations covered by the agreement are in the following markets:

  • Binghamton, N.Y.
  • Syracuse, N.Y.
  • Medford, OR
  • Spokane, WA
  • Yakima-Tri Cities, WA
  • Yuma, AZ
  • Alexandria, LA
  • Eureka, CA
  • Greenville-Greenwood, MS
  • Idaho Falls-Pocatello, ID
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.